By His Side
by Goddess33
Summary: Short, sweet and probably sappy Marron and Gateau cuddle-fic.


Marron slogged awkwardly through waist-deep, dark water. Though the night was freezing, the water was too warm, too murky and too thick. He peered through the darkness, trying to see the shore and beyond it. His companions had to be up ahead somewhere. He'd called out to them, but they hadn't waited for him. And now he was stuck behind, wading through the slow water.

Marron's foot slid under him and he was dunked under the water before he had time to catch himself. He came up sputtering, wiping the hair from his face and looking disgruntled. This water was strange, it tasted weird, slightly metallic… and it felt sticky on his hands. He glanced down at his fingers. His hands were red and slick with blood, his pristine white clothing was soaked in it. His face was covered in it, and blood was matting in his hair.

He stood carefully, trying to hold his composure and not be ill. Puking now would not get him out of the lake faster. Marron continued wading through the blood, as fast as he could without falling again. Where were the others? Why hadn't they answered when he called out to them?

Something brushed against his leg. Marron froze, standing stiff and still, then glanced downward. It was an arm, gleaming brightly with blood. Marron felt his stomach roil when he recognized the dead girl's face. Tira. 

Another body came floating by, eyes wide and white in the bloodied red face. Chocolate. On cue, two more bodies floated over from the edges of the darkness, one tall and extremely muscled, the other smaller and scrawnier. Marron choked back sobs, recognizing Gateau and Carrot. 

"Oh god… Tira, Chocolate… Gateau, Carrot! What happened?!" Marron cried, tears streaming down his face. Their dead stares would not answer him. 

The blood river dragged at his feet, dragging him under the surface, much deeper than it had been only moments before. Marron kicked and struggled, clawing for the surface, screaming his friends' names though his mouth filled with blood. He couldn't breathe, he'd die here, die here with them…

"Carrot! Gateau! Tira! Chocolate!"

"MARRON!"

Marron's eyes flew open and he woke up gasping. Strong arms held him tightly, and someone was making soothing noises. Marron's heart was beating so fast, and he gasped for air, thrashing in the protective grip. 

"Marron, calm down!" Gateau's voice said softly. "You're all right now, you were having a nightmare. It's okay, shhh…"

Marron panted gently, relaxing into Gateau's embrace. As his pulse calmed, he became aware of several things at once. One was, he was sweat-soaked from head to toe. The second was that his hair was flung in wild disarray across the bed. 

"Oh… dear…" Marron carefully lifted himself up, gathering his hair back. Gateau shifted to help him, still looking concerned.

"Are you alright?" Gateau finally asked, holding Marron close to him.

"I… don't know…" Marron murmured. "I think so."

"It was about all of us again, wasn't it?" Gateau asked. "You dreamed of us dying again."

Marron nodded a little miserably. "Yes… I… think this job is starting to get to me…" 

"You work too hard," Gateau murmured, brushing a strand of hair from Marron's face. 

"Someone has to," Marron murmured. "Tira and Chocolate are busy trying to keep my brother in line, and, no offense, but you're always a little too eager to get… distracted."

Gateau smirked. "I can't help but get distracted after walking beside you for so long, you're just too tempting." 

Marron sighed. "That's my point… we have a job to accomplish before you can go pulling me into dark alleys or into the woods away from the others. Being a Sorcerer Hunter comes first."

Gateau nodded. "Doesn't change the fact that you're working too hard. Nightmares every night for weeks, dreaming of the others and I as floating corpses, lakes of blood… it's not good for you. It's wearing you down, I can see it." He reluctantly released Marron from his embrace and slid out of bed. "I'll get you something to drink, okay?"

"I can-" Marron began, starting to sit up to follow him, but Gateau interrupted him.

"Oh no you don't, you just sit tight, I'll be right back. Like I said, you work too hard. There's not some law somewhere, written or unwritten, that says Marron Glace has to do everything himself," Gateau murmured with a gentle smile, scooping up a robe from the floor and pulling it on to satisfy Marron's ever rampant need for modesty. 

Marron sighed, lying back against the pillows. 

Gateau grinned. "Good boy," he murmured. "I'll be right back, hm?"

Marron watched Gateau leave the hotel room, musing thoughtfully to himself. So, he and Gateau were a couple now. What Gateau lacked in finesse, he had more than made up for with persistence. Carrot still whined about Gateau perverting his dear, innocent little brother, but while Marron and Gateau slept in the same bed, they hadn't actually done anything else in it. But try getting Carrot to sit still and listen long enough to understand that. 

"Lost in thought again, I see…" Gateau murmured as he walked into the room carrying a tray. "Still thinking about your nightmare?"

Marron shook his head. "Something less depressing this time." 

"Oh?" Gateau asked, setting the tray down on the bedside table, then plopping down on the bed next to Marron. "Like what?"

Marron smiled slightly at the way the bed sank under Gateau's weight. "You." 

"Ah, well I'm glad that's not a topic that depresses you," Gateau said with a grin, lifting the teacup off the tray and holding it out to Marron carefully. "Here, it'll make you feel better." 

"Thanks…" Marron murmured, taking the cup and drinking gratefully. It tasted wonderful. He relaxed with a sigh, smiling lightly and calmly sipping at his drink. Gateau sure knew how to make him feel better. 

When Marron had finished his tea, Gateau got a damp washcloth and gently started cleaning the dry, sticky sweat off Marron's skin. Marron protested at first, trying to take the cloth from Gateau, but just as calmly, Gateau brushed Marron's hands away.

"I can't cure you of your nightmares, at least allow me to do this," Gateau murmured. 

So Marron set back and just enjoyed the cool cloth's gentle caress of his skin, his eyes drifting half-closed as exhaustion, no longer staved off by the fear left from the nightmare, crept back to claim him.

"That… feels nice…" Marron murmured sleepily. "Thank you, Gateau." 

Gateau grinned. "Hey, turn over for a moment, please?"

Marron blinked at him curiously, then rolled over onto his stomach, folding his arms to pillow his head. Gateau grinned, lacing his fingers together and pushing his palms outward to crack the joints. Then, gently starting on Marron's shoulders, Gateau carefully massaged the tension out of every muscle from the neck down to Marron's shoulder blades. 

Marron could just barely kept from purring in delight in that strong, careful touch, relieving all the stress from his shoulders, neck and back. Okay, so Gateau might not be the smartest member of their little group, but if there was one thing Gateau was expert on, it was muscle. Marron nearly melted into the bed from relaxation. 

"Feel any better?" Gateau asked, finishing the massage and laying down next to Marron again, pulling him into a gentle, protective embrace.

Nearly asleep, with a soft smile of contentment, Marron nodded. Before sleep could claim him, though, he murmured softly, "Gateau, do me a favor?"

"Anything," Gateau promised instantly.

"If you come across any giant lakes of blood, stay away from them, please?" Marron asked.

Gateau feigned disappointment. "Aw, but Marron, you know how I love going fishing in great bloody lakes…."

"Gateau!"

"Kidding, only kidding!" Gateau said, cuddling Marron closer. "Alright, I promise. Now try to get some sleep, okay?"

Only silence greeted this.

"Marron?"

Still no reply. Gateau looked down to the boy he held in his arms, realizing Marron was already fast asleep, lips still curved in a faint, peaceful smile. Gateau grinned and closed his eyes as well, allowing himself to similarly drift into sleep, satisfied that Marron would not be plagued by any more nightmares tonight. Tomorrow night, maybe, but Gateau would be here to take care of Marron then too. And the night after that…. and the night after that, and after that….


End file.
